Author
Topic: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS USM (Read 155063 times)

I had the good fortune of borrowing this lens from a coworker, last month. I fell in love with it instantly, and am scouring the net for a used/refurbished model (although maybe I should just pony up the approx $675 for a new model, haha).

When you shoot tele you deal with a lot of the "transition zone" that can make for some ugly bokeh. The 70-300L does a nice job with that transition zone. I have not really seen anything too ugly coming out of it. Having owned two copies each of the 70-200L (IS and non IS) f/4 zooms, I can safely say that I prefer this lens to those. I haven't used Canon's 70-200 f/2.8L zooms enough to have an opinion there, but the size of those lens makes them less of a travel option. I would probably love the 70-200LII for my event work, though.

Indeed, quality of the bokeh in stark gradient areas is a real differentiator and this doesn't always show up in "measurements". In this context, the 70-300L generates really plesant bokeh.

As for 70-200's, I own the f/4 IS and the f/2.8 IS II... While the 70-200 2.8II is a highly competent sharp zoom, it is not the second coming as some fanboys would have us all believe. It is sharp and versatile, but also heavy, and obvious. And most fair-minded people will agree the f/2.8II is not known for its silky bokeh... then again that may not be its main purpose. I periodically knock the 70-200 2.8II here simply because some fanboys just praise it to the heavens... I jokingly call it the "I-too-have-arrived-pricey-but-achievable-newbie zoom", just to poke them a bit .

Here is a 700-200 f.2.8 II image and the bokeh crop...it is competent zoom even on grey winter days but I never found the bokeh something to write home about.

When you shoot tele you deal with a lot of the "transition zone" that can make for some ugly bokeh. The 70-300L does a nice job with that transition zone. I have not really seen anything too ugly coming out of it. Having owned two copies each of the 70-200L (IS and non IS) f/4 zooms, I can safely say that I prefer this lens to those. I haven't used Canon's 70-200 f/2.8L zooms enough to have an opinion there, but the size of those lens makes them less of a travel option. I would probably love the 70-200LII for my event work, though.

Indeed, quality of the bokeh in stark gradient areas is a real differentiator and this doesn't always show up in "measurements". In this context, the 70-300L generates really plesant bokeh.

As for 70-200's, I own the f/4 IS and the f/2.8 IS II... While the 70-200 2.8II is a highly competent sharp zoom, it is not the second coming as some fanboys would have us all believe. It is sharp and versatile, but also heavy, and obvious. And most fair-minded people will agree the f/2.8II is not known for its silky bokeh... then again that may not be its main purpose. I periodically knock the 70-200 2.8II here simply because some fanboys just praise it to the heavens... I jokingly call it the "I-too-have-arrived-pricey-but-achievable-newbie zoom", just to poke them a bit .

Here is a 700-200 f.2.8 II image and the bokeh crop...it is competent zoom even on grey winter days but I never found the bokeh something to write home about.

I think your points are valid, although these two lenses are not really comparable. I certainly wouldn't want to pack the 2.8LII all day traveling. I own the Tamron 70-300 VC (which I will soon sell after doing a head to head write-up for my site). It is actually a very competent lens that has given me some great images, but this particular area was it's great weakness. Take a look at this shot, for example:

I actually went in with a softening brush to reduce clarity on the out of focus area because it was so harsh in the original, and it still isn't great. I find the 70-300L really does a nice job in similar situations.

I had the good fortune of borrowing this lens from a coworker, last month. I fell in love with it instantly, and am scouring the net for a used/refurbished model (although maybe I should just pony up the approx $675 for a new model, haha).

Some nice images. I was very fortunate to find a basically new model for an incredible price used, but the biggest challenge is that they rarely go on the used market. There are some decent deals on occasion for a refurb through Canon, though. I've seen one for a little over a thousand like that towards the end of last year.

Hobby Shooter

When you shoot tele you deal with a lot of the "transition zone" that can make for some ugly bokeh. The 70-300L does a nice job with that transition zone. I have not really seen anything too ugly coming out of it. Having owned two copies each of the 70-200L (IS and non IS) f/4 zooms, I can safely say that I prefer this lens to those. I haven't used Canon's 70-200 f/2.8L zooms enough to have an opinion there, but the size of those lens makes them less of a travel option. I would probably love the 70-200LII for my event work, though.

Indeed, quality of the bokeh in stark gradient areas is a real differentiator and this doesn't always show up in "measurements". In this context, the 70-300L generates really plesant bokeh.

As for 70-200's, I own the f/4 IS and the f/2.8 IS II... While the 70-200 2.8II is a highly competent sharp zoom, it is not the second coming as some fanboys would have us all believe. It is sharp and versatile, but also heavy, and obvious. And most fair-minded people will agree the f/2.8II is not known for its silky bokeh... then again that may not be its main purpose. I periodically knock the 70-200 2.8II here simply because some fanboys just praise it to the heavens... I jokingly call it the "I-too-have-arrived-pricey-but-achievable-newbie zoom", just to poke them a bit .

Here is a 700-200 f.2.8 II image and the bokeh crop...it is competent zoom even on grey winter days but I never found the bokeh something to write home about.

Not a birder, but I have found the 70-300L to be a very nice "birding" lens. While it isn't particularly long on a full frame, the great resolving power makes serious cropping possible while upholding great detail. And, as I said earlier, I am really surprised by how well it handles transition zone bokeh. Nice and soft without a lot of distracting hard edges. This is pretty fantastic considering how sharp the lens is.

canon rumors FORUM

Absolutely loving all the photos being posted showcasing this lens, only thing is guy’s I think your all pushing the price of it up especially you Dustin and I’m still saving, now stop it and post some duffers